Juicy, tender, and so easy to make!
This meatball recipe is made with ground beef, seasonings, and breadcrumbs and can be baked right away or prepped in batches and frozen for easy weeknight meals.
These Meatballs Are a Recipe Box Staple Because…
- This easy meatball recipe has just 3 steps: mix, shape, and bake!
- These meatballs are perfectly seasoned, tender, and juicy.
- Make them with ground beef or any combination of beef, pork, or sausage.
- Double or triple this meatball recipe and freeze them for quick weeknight meals.
- They can be served with spaghetti or as an appetizer (like Grape Jelly Meatballs).
What You’ll Need For This Meatball Recipe
- Meat: I love meatballs using beef and pork, but you can use all beef if you’d prefer. I use lean ground beef (80/20)—a little fat keeps them tender and juicy. You can also swap in some veal, lamb, or lean Italian sausage.
- Egg: Binds the meatballs.
- Breadcrumbs: Seasoned breadcrumbs add flavor, but you can use any type of breadcrumbs or finely crushed crackers.
- Milk: Adding a little milk to the breadcrumbs gives these meatballs a tender texture and keeps them from being dense.
- Onion: Adds flavor and can be replaced with ½ teaspoon onion powder.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese add flavor. Change the seasonings or add fresh herbs to match the other flavors in your meal.
How to Make Meatballs
This easy meatball recipe is quick to prepare.
- Mix the ingredients and form 48 meatballs, 1-½ inches in diameter.
- Place them ½-inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake until tender or freeze (full recipe below).
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the microwave in a dish or simmer them on the stove in pasta sauce (I love this brand, Rao’s).
Did your family love these easy meatballs? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Easy Meatball Recipe
This easy meatball recipe is so easy to make and they always come out juicy and tender.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound lean ground pork or additional ground beef
- ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup milk
- ¼ cup finely diced onion *see note, or ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning optional
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, add beef, pork, breadcrumbs, milk, onion, parsley, parmesan cheese, egg, and seasonings. Gently mix until combined.
- Shape the meat mixture into 48 meatballs, approximately 1 ½ tablespoons each, and place on the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs reach 160°F.
- Serve with tomato sauce if desired.
Video
Notes
*Onion: For a milder flavor, soften the onion in a skillet with a little bit of butter before adding to the meatballs or replace it with ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
To serve with pasta sauce, stir the cooked meatballs into the desired amount of sauce and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes on the stovetop.
- To freeze, prepare as directed and freeze on a baking sheet before or after baking. Transfer to a freezer bag for up to 4 months.
- To bake raw frozen meatballs, add 6 to 10 minutes to the cooking time and ensure the meatballs reach 160°F.
- To heat cooked meatballs from frozen, add to a skillet with 1/2 cup water. Cover and simmer until heated through, for 10 to 12 minutes, adding more water as needed.
- To heat cooked meatballs in pasta sauce, add ½ cup of water to the sauce and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs are heated through.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 4meatballs | Calories: 235 | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 256mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 174IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Main Course
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I’ve used this recipe a couple of times and will definitely keep it! These are easy and delicious!
A wonderfully satisfying weeknight meatball recipe. While the interior of the meatball remained tender, the exterior was browned and crispy. Perfectly paired with penne and our homemade arrabbiata sauce.
What a great recipe!
So much flavor packed in every single meatball. I made turkey meatball too & they turned out amazing.
Thanks for sharing!
I took the challenge and sent mine in! We loved the recipe….. am many different meals you can make using them as the base.
These meatballs were very good.I served them with fresh Ricotta Marinnara Sauce and fresh basil.Easy to prepare and my husband really liked them. Another winner!
Easy weeknight meal!
these look great! can’t wait to try them out! yum!!
I prefer to use a “standard” grocery store meatloaf mix of beef, veal and pork … I find it makes for a more tender meatball than using just beef or beef and pork, and the flavor is (in my opinion) better.
I’m excited to make these. I prefer larger sized meatballs so obviously, if I double the size I would increase the baking time . Would I actually double the baking time? Thanks for any guidance you can give!
You wouldn’t need to double the baking time, I would check them at about 22 to 24 minutes. They should reach 160°F if you have a thermometer. If you do add ground pork, they can still appear a little bit pink, even if they’re fully cooked. Enjoy, I’d love to hear how they work out.
I made a triple batch of these for postpartum prep and completely forgot to add the Parmesan. They are still delicious and tender. So if anyone is wondering if you can leave out the Parmesan, you sure can!
10/10, next time I’ll have to make sure I add all the ingredients
Do you think there would be much of a difference if I just use 1 pound of GB and a half a pound of ground pork? That’s what I hand and being 25 minutes from town I’m too lazy to go out. Lol.
That should work perfectly!
These were so good. Thank you.
An easy meatball recipe is definitely a kitchen staple! I love how simple it is to prepare, making it perfect for busy nights when you want a satisfying meal without too much effort. Whether you use them for appetizers, pasta, or sandwiches, having a go-to meatball recipe is a must for any home cook!
what temperature to set oven on, I didn’t see it in recipe notes…thanks so much
Step 1 says “Preheat the oven to 400°F.” If you are not able to see all instructions, please make sure that you are not on reader view. The recipe will not show correctly. Enjoy the meatballs Kathy!